Twisted Everyway
by PunkRockPhantom
Summary: a new Phantom story, my very first story to be read by others not the first I've written so be gentle, lol!
1. Chapter 1

Christine sat on the sandy shoreline, just beyond the De Chagny Estate where she was staying with Raoul and his family.

She had her arms around her knees and pulled them closer to her body. She couldn't lose this feeling of unhappiness, though she knew her current status was one that many girls would love to have…she, Christine, a lowly chorus girl was set to marry Viscount Raoul De Chagny! She was even living at his family's home, seeing as her home had been practically destroyed. Yet…she wasn't happy.

Maybe it was the way that, though nice enough to her face, Raoul's family thought she was not good enough to marry him. Oh, his two older sisters were perfectly friendly towards her…but how many times had Christine passed by rooms, hearing inside the discussion of how embarrassing the situation was.

How Raoul was clearly a smitten young man who did not realize how above his fiancée he was. Christine knew that all that was true, but she had hoped that Raoul's family would see past it and love her the way that he did.

Christine sighed. It was more than that, though, she told herself. It was the voice that she still heard in her dreams that was making it hard for her to adjust to this new life.

The voice, singing so lovingly to her, so gently…and yet so passionately. "Stop it, stop thinking of him!" she chastised herself out loud. "You made your choice, and Raoul loves you. He's never lied to you or threatened you," She said. 'Or made you feel alive with passion, or made you desire him' she thought inwardly. It was true; as much as she loved Raoul she never felt the passion in his kisses that she felt with the Phantom. She sighed again, not realizing that someone was watching her.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I know these first chapters aren't quite as action filled as you might like. But the development of the story is necessary, so bear with me:o)

Raoul stood at the window, watching Christine. He knew something was wrong, knew that for some reason she was not fully his, even after all that had happened. He loved her and knew that she loved him.

'She loves him too' he thought bitterly. It was true. She had chosen Raoul, had left the Phantom behind…and yet, despite the terror that man had caused and lives he had ended, Christine still loved that…thing.

Raoul looked up as he heard the door to his study open. It was his oldest sister, Marie.

"I notice your chorus girl has left to be alone again…perhaps she desires more luxury than we can afford and that makes her upset?" She said cruelly. "I have asked you not to speak about my fiancée in that way. She is a beautiful, kind and loving girl. Something you wouldn't know anything about being" Raoul said angrily.

"Little brother, forgive me my rudeness, it's just…how can I make you see how far beneath you she is, no matter how 'kind' she may be?" Marie asked. "You cannot, because she is not. She's better than any member of this family, myself included. And she deserves to be talked of better and treated better than how you and Claire are" he said.

Marie's eyes widened. "Raoul, we are very nice to Christine, no matter how we may feel. It's our duty to welcome her, since she is our guest. She's a lovely girl, in her own way. She knows nothing of how Claire and I truly feel, we say nothing to her face!" She protested.

"And that makes it okay? Besides, how stupid do you think Christine is? She knows, she picks up on it the same as anyone else would!" Raoul spat out, turning to face the window again.

"Forgive me, I see you are in no mood to discuss anything of importance at the moment" Marie said, and Raoul heard her leave, shutting the door behind her. He looked down at Christine again, who was standing up. She began to walk the shore, still looking deeply troubled.

Raoul decided to walk down and join her, though he felt that she probably preferred being alone. As he reached the edge of the beach, Christine stopped walking suddenly.

Raoul rushed forward, confused. Christine sank back down to a sitting position, looking up to see him."Raoul!" She said, clearly surprised.

"Christine, are you okay?" he asked, sitting down next to her. "I'm…fine." She responded, sounding anything but fine. Raoul raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I'm not fine. I don't know how I am, honestly." She admitted.

"You're upset, I know you are. Who wouldn't be? But you'll move past it in time…and maybe then you'll be ready to plan our wedding" he said, adding the last part hopefully. Christine raised her hand, putting it against his cheek gently. "Raoul, I've been thinking about that…I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready for that. Not now…" she trailed off.

"It's because of HIM isn't it?" Raoul asked angrily, standing suddenly.

A/N: Wow, sorry, I didn't realize this was getting so long, I just couldn't find a good place to cut if off sooner, so now you get a cliff hanger, lol. Thanks for the review I've already started to get, you guys are great!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, there are a couple things I thought I'd clear up before anybody asked. Christine refers to Erik as the Phantom because she does not know his name, but Madame Giry does, so she calls him Erik. And speaking of Mdme Giry, I wanted to give her a decidedly girly name just for fun. I hope anybody reading this is enjoying it :o) BTW: I forgot to mention this in the other chapters, but obviously, I don't own anything to do with The Phantom of the Opera. Wish I did, but I don't. So there, now you know.

Despite Raouls sudden outburst of anger, Christine answered calmly. "Yes. And no." "And what exactly does that mean?" he demanded.

"Raoul, please try to understand…all you ever saw and knew was the murderer, the madness. I spent years with an Angel. The reality of the Phantom and all that happened was, and still is, a shock." She said, still strangely calm.

"So where does that leave us? Christine, I love you." Raoul said.

Christine took his hand and put both of hers over it. "No, Raoul. You love Little Lotte…and I'm no longer that girl." She said.

"You're trying to tell me that you don't love me, aren't you?" he asked, not entirely sure if he really wanted to hear her answer.

"No, I'm trying to tell you that I love you too much to marry you. You deserve more than a shell of a woman." Christine said, squeezing his hand.

Raoul was quiet for a long time. Then he said, in a low, quiet voice:However long you need, whatever space you need…take it. I'll always be here for you, but I won't force you to do anything."

Christine was stuck again by the difference between the two men who loved her. One loved her enough to let her go…the other loved her so much that he _couldn't_ let her go.

She kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you Raoul." She said simply. He nodded and offered her his arm. Together they set off for the house, Christine feeling somewhat less confused.

Erik moaned in agony. It seemed there wasn't a part of his body that didn't ache. "Shh, Erik, it's okay. Just lay still" came the calm, authoritative voice of Madame Giry.

He simply nodded. Had it not been for her, he would probably be dead, as the mob that had beaten him thought they had left him.

Erik reached up and felt the coolness of his mask and relaxed. It was the mask that Little Meg had found in his lair, the only one not destroyed.

It was the Giry's that he was staying with, though Meg didn't know of his presence in the house. They were very near to the Opera Populaire, whose fate was currently undecided- the owners were considering rebuilding or closing.

Madame Giry's skills had saved him and were nursing him still. He would allow no doctor to see him- he liked the idea of people believing him dead.

_Without her, you are dead. _He thought. "Oh Christine…" he whispered.

Suddenly, he felt two small hands lifting his mask off. He reached up to prevent this and his hands were pushed away.

"I need to clean the cuts on your face." Madame Giry said, gently wiping a cool, wet cloth on his face.

"How- how is…everyone?" Erik asked, in a would be casual voice.

"Christine is fine." Was the response she gave him and he winced. Madame Giry through everything.

"Is she still with that young fool?" Erik spat out and now he saw Madame Giry hesitate. He grabbed her wrist. "She's not? Tell me Cecelia, now!" he demanded.

"She is still with him, although the marriage has been postponed…indefinitely." She said haltingly.

Erik felt, for the first time in weeks, a burst of hope and happiness inside of him. _So, she did not marry the idiot fop._ He thought happily.

"Don't you go getting any of your foolish ideas!" Madame Giry broke into his thoughts, her voice once again commanding and strong. Erik raised an eyebrow, giving her what was clearly meant to be a 'who me?' look.

"I mean it Erik! Think of Christine, and yourself!" she implored him. But Erik only smiled at her, the smile that always scared her. Indeed, plots were already running through his mind.


End file.
